I played games before getting a Genesis, mostly Nintendo. But the Genesis was the first system I ever owned. I got it on Christmas 1991 and it came with Sonic 1. Sonic wasn't the first game I played by a long shot but it stands as the unique legacy of being the first game I ever owned.
It was so different from Mario. I could get a grasp on Mario, but Sonic was different, with its branching paths different planes and tiers in stages. Momentum, physics based platforming? It was all very new to me and I was also very bad at it. I was 7 years old, but I mean, I didn't have an NES and didn't have the opportunity to get good at games because before my game time was really limited. In Mario, beating a boss took one hit at most if you were up against Bowser. If you were playing 3, then it was 3 hits. I had Sonic 1 for months and hadn't managed to pass Green Hill Zone because of the boss. That's how bad, uncoordinated, and inexperienced at games I was. My dad played with as well and we couldn't get through the boss.
My dad went on a fishing trip with my cousin's half brother (half cousin? I don't know) and he told my dad that you have to hit the boss 8 times in order to progress. Sounds good. We managed to beat the first boss together. Eventually, after that point, we just started to get better and better. I beat Marble Zone, and then Spring Yard Zone was a bit tough, but I somehow got to beat that too, and then LABYRINTH ZONE, my nemesis. Beating Labyrinth Zone and going on to Scrap Yard Zone was one of the most fulfilling things I'd ever done in a game at that point.
Eventually I beat it. It took about a year or so. Sounds pathetic? I guess. But it was the first game I ever beat. I ran through the house cheering when I beat it, even if I found the ending a little unsatisfying.
Then I got Sonic 2 and dad and I were up to it again. The addition of 2 player mode made it even more fun. Sometimes I'd come home with mom from somewhere and he'd be playing Sonic 2 with the music cranked, haha. After that though, my dad just kind of stopped playing games with me. It makes me sad but the memories of Sonic and my growth as a game player, cutting my teeth on those games are some of my cherished memories playing games.
The sad part is that I can't enjoy them as much anymore beyond nostalgia. I think Sonic 1 is still great but Sonic 2 feels a bit lacking in almost every category. Sonic 3 and Knuckles is where I feel the Genesis games truly shine, but beyond that 16 bit era I can't even touch Sonic games much less enjoy them. Sonic 2 was my favorite game as a kid, but I don't even think it's good anymore. Despite the challenge that it took me to get good at these games, I now find them horrifically easy and actually prefer Mario now. Which I find so hilarious in its delicious irony.
I'm hoping others cut their teeth on Sonic games. I remember having an argument with a kid at school and he said Sonic sucked because it wasn't hard like Mega Man or Super Mario Bros 3. I had never played Mega Man so I didn't have a frame of reference. I felt bad because I found Sonic challenging as an inexperienced game player, and here this kid was telling me that it was a shallow experience. It just wasn't my experience with the games.
I really wish Sega would do right with the franchise. It has such a big part of my life from ages 7-10 and I just really wish I could play a great Sonic game again. Hopefully the 25th anniversary game is on the right track.
Happy birthday Sonic, we've had a rocky relationship but you're still my boo.
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